It's time again for one of the most indulgent events on the cultural calendar. Launching Friday, March 21, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is bringing together a who's who of local and international chefs for a jam-packed schedule featuring over 200 events across the state. Covering just about every cuisine, venue type and culinary philosophy imaginable, diners are spoilt for choice no matter their tastes or interests.

While there's an incredible range of happenings to consider, one of the headline events sees plant-based pioneers Shannon Martinez and Philip Khoury join forces for a special pop-up bakery event at Smith + Deli on Thursday, March 22. Having generated a huge amount of global buzz for their approach to vegan cuisine – specifically pastries in Khoury's case – their trailblazing delights include maple cakes, apple pies, strawberry tarts and chocolate mousse cake.

If you're a racing fan, the hallowed turf of Flemington Racecourse is the place to be, as some of Melbourne's most beloved restaurants pop up with special race-day menus for Feast – a marquee meeting of sport and dining. Here, Chinese fine-diner Lee Ho Fook, Latino firebrand San Telmo, Spanish maverick MoVida and pasta stars Tipo 00 will set up shop on the Flemington front lawn over three weekends in March. Expect haute snacks that rise high above the usual carnival fare.